Mill City Grows hiring an Urban Farm Manager

Urban Farm Manager
Full-Time, benefitted                                                                   
Anticipated Start Date: March 1st, 2016    

     
Organization Description
Mill City Grows is growing a healthier community by creating new opportunities for residents to access healthy, fresh, affordable foods. Our mission is to foster food justice in Lowell, MA by improving physical health, economic independence and environmental sustainability through increased access to land, locally grown food and education. We are a young organization with passionate staff and dedicated volunteers, and we’re seeking a motivated and well-organized individual committed to the values of our work to fill the Urban Farm Manager position.

Position Description
The Urban Farm Manager is the point person for engaging the community in urban food production while managing all vegetable production for the organization, including 3.5+ acres across two year-round urban production sites. Mill City Grows prioritizes community cultivation and education as much as food production at our farms: success is measured by production yield, as well as community engagement. As a crucial member of the leadership team, the Urban Farm Manager will work in close coordination with the organization’s co-directors, the Mobile Market Manager, Education Manager, and Community Program Manager to bring produce to market and ensure that the production sites are tools for the education of the larger community, including adult and youth learners, volunteers, and program participants. We use organic and sustainable growing practices, and combine hand-work and mechanized systems depending on site scale. This position is an intensive educational and management opportunity.

Urban Farm Manager responsibilities:

• Cultivate accessible and inviting farm spaces for the community to explore, ask questions and dive deep into urban farming.
• Develop 2016 Urban Farm plan that will efficiently and effectively grow food and engage people in food production and education, including: crop plan, staffing plan (including volunteers), outreach plan, and food distribution plan (including Mobile Market, restaurants, and donations)
• Recruit, hire and supervise all farm workers, including two full-time apprentices and weed and harvest crews
• Outreach for volunteers at the farm including groups and individuals; manage volunteer scheduling and projects
• Oversee and provide instruction to all volunteer and educational groups working on urban sites, in partnership with other MCG staff
• Work in partnership with Co-director to manage all farm production, including disease, weed and irrigation management in the greenhouse, low tunnels and fields
• Work with Mobile Market Manager to organize the week’s harvests and wash-up for markets and restaurant sales
• Establish and maintain partnerships with community organizations, volunteers, and educational groups that visit the farm
• Collaborate with Education and Community Program Managers to ensure the Urban Farms are relevant and available sites for educational programs
• Maintain farm equipment, including BCS, cultivating tractor and primary tillage tractor
• Lead all-age educational groups in partnership with MCG staff

Qualifications:

• Commitment to and experience in community work, education and food justice.
• Comfortable working with groups of people of diverse ages and backgrounds
• Experience supervising, training and team building with staff and volunteers
• Required 2-3 years experience working on a vegetable production farm
• High levels of organization, time management, work ethic and leadership skills
• Experience implementing educational programming with youth and/or adults
• Be eager to work hard and get dirty in all kinds of weather (cold, heat, rain, snow, wind)
• An aptitude for physically demanding, fast-paced work (the ability to safely lift and carry 50 pounds repeatedly)
• Eager to learn and able to solve problems independently and as part of a team
• Safe driving record, valid license, proof of car insurance and registration
• Clean CORI/SORI
• Knowledge of Lowell neighborhoods, communities and languages a plus

Please send your resume, cover letter, and three references to info@millcitygrows.org